System and method for automating customer slamming and cramming complaints

ABSTRACT

A method and system for automating customer slamming and cramming complaints includes an automated reporting system having one or more receiving devices and a complaint module. Customers who want to report a slam or cram access the automated reporting system and report the complaint without having to speak with a customer service representative. The complaint module obtains the customer telephone number and retrieves customer account information using the customer telephone number. Using the customer account information, the complaint module extrapolates a type of complaint for the customer complaint and prompts the customer for information regarding the customer complaint and the type of the complaint. The customer provides customer responses to the prompts and the complaint module provides an indication to the customer regarding each customer response. Once the customer complaint has been resolved, the complaint module stores information regarding the slam or cram for reporting requirements and tracking purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to telephone services,and more specifically relates to the automation of customer slamming andcramming complaints in providing a telephone service.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] One of the fastest growing customer complaints with respect totelephone services regards slamming and cramming. Slamming is theillegal practice of changing a customer's local or long distancetelephone service provider without the permission of the customer.Cramming is the practice of placing unauthorized, misleading, ordeceptive products, services, or charges on customers' telephone billswithout customer permission. Under Federal Communications Commission(FCC) regulations, telephone companies are required to track, record,and report customer complaints of alleged slamming and cramming.

[0003] When a customer suspects a slam or cram, the customer typicallycalls a customer service representative (CSR) for the customer'stelephone company to report the incident and seek corrective measures.Typically, the CSR solicits pertinent information from the customerregarding the alleged slam or cram and enters information regarding theslam or cram into a database in order to track the slamming and crammingcomplaints and therefore remain in compliance with FCC regulations.Although this is not a difficult task, it is costly and time consumingfor the telephone companies because tracking, recording, and reportingalleged slams and crams consumes CSR time that could be better utilizedin revenue producing services or in customer satisfaction services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] A more complete understanding of the present embodiments andadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in whichlike reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

[0005]FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system for automating customerslamming and cramming complaints;

[0006]FIG. 2 illustrates an example complaint interface; and

[0007]FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for automating customerslamming and cramming complaints.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated inthe figures, like numerals being used to refer to like and correspondingparts of the various drawings.

[0009] State and federal regulations require all customer complaints ofalleged slamming and cramming to be tracked regardless of the telephonecompany against whom the complaint is made. The telephone companiesgenerally generate monthly reports regarding the alleged slamming andcramming complaints and these reports provide the telephone companieswith the information needed to remain in compliance with the state andfederal regulations. Because telephone companies are required to trackall alleged slamming and cramming complaints, dealing with customerslamming and cramming complaints occupies a large amount of both atelephone company's time and money particularly with respect to the timethe customer service representatives (CSR) spend dealing first hand withthe customers and the customer complaints.

[0010] A customer generally becomes aware of an alleged slam or cramwhen the customer receives and reviews his or her telephone bill. Withrespect to slamming, the customer may notice that the provider of one oftheir telephone services has changed without customer authorization.Different types of slamming that a customer may wish to report include:long distance slamming where the customer's interLATA (Local Access andTransport Areas) long distance provider, also known as the PIC (PrimaryInterexchange Carrier), has been changed; a local toll slamming wherethe customer's intraLATA local toll carrier, also known as the LPIC(Local Primary Interexchange Carrier), has been changed; or a local dialtone or service slamming where the customer's local service provider,also known as the local dial tone provider, has been changed.

[0011] A customer typically notices a cramming because the amount due onthe customer's telephone bill is generally higher than the customerexpected to pay or the telephone bill includes products or services thatthe customer did not order. Crammings generally encompass two differentvarieties. One type of cramming is when a service, such as Caller ID orCall Waiting, is added to a customer's telephone account without thecustomer authorizing such addition. Here the customer is aware of theservice but did not authorize such service. Another type of cramming iswhen the customer authorized a package of products or services but wasnot aware that a particular product or service was part of an authorizedpackage. For example, many telephone companies offer packages where twoor more services are offered together at a discounted price. A telephonecompany may offer a package that includes the services of Call Waiting,Caller ID, and Call Forwarding, and the telephone company may charge thecustomer a reduced fee for that package, relative to the total otherwisecharged for the individual services. For instance, Southwestern BellTelephone Company Corporation (Southwestern Bell) offers a package ofservices under the registered service mark “The ESSENTIALS.” A customermay order such a package not realizing what services are included in thepackage. So when the customer receives the telephone bill and notices acharge for Call Forwarding, the customer may think he or she was crammedbecause the customer did not individually order Call Forwarding and isnot aware that the package that the customer did order includes CallForwarding. This type of cramming is where the customer authorized thepackage including the service but was just unaware that the service waspart of a package.

[0012] Given that unauthorized changes may be made after a telephonebill has been sent to the customer and because customers have a tendencyto not closely examine their telephone bill, several billing cycles maypass before a slam or cram shows up on a customer's bill or before acustomer notices a slam or cram.

[0013] When a customer notices an alleged slam or cram on his or hertelephone bill, she typically calls a customer service support telephonenumber to report the slam or cram and correct any inaccuracies withinthe customer account. The customer speaks with a CSR who asks variousquestions of the customer and records the customer's responses. The CSRcorrects any changes to the customer's account that were not authorizedby customer. These changes may involve switching the customer back tothe customer's selected telephone service provider or removing anyunwanted telephone services added without customer authorization. TheCSR records the information regarding the alleged slam or cram in amanner that allows the telephone company to track the slamming andcramming complaints.

[0014] Because of the cost associated with CSR time, companies havebegun to automate or partially automate some of their customer servicefunctions. These automated systems that provide customer servicefunctions without CSR contact have become important to many companies.The automated systems are designed to give customers the option ofcompleting tasks without the assistance of a CSR. Customers typicallyhave the option of speaking with a CSR while using an automated systembut many tasks can be completed by the customer without ever speaking toa CSR. Because less CSR time is required, automated systems result incost savings for the company due to the reduction in required customerservice staffing needs and possibly increased revenues due to the factthat CSRs may be reassigned to provide revenue producing customerservices.

[0015] In contrast, the example embodiment described herein allows forthe automation of the reporting of customer slamming and crammingcomplaints. Additionally, the example embodiment allows customers toreport slamming and cramming complaints without having to speak with aCSR unless the customer wants to speak with a CSR. The automation is tothe benefit of many customers who prefer not to have to speak to a CSRor for customers who cannot place a call during regular business hoursbut still need to report a slamming or cramming. Also, the automationmay reduce customer hold times. The ability of a customer to report aslamming or cramming complaint and receive correction action withrespect to the customer complaint without having to speak with a CSRsaves valuable CSR time and also allows for the successful collectionand tracking of customer slamming and cramming complaints therebyallowing for compliance with state and federal regulations. Because CSRtime is not occupied with collecting information regarding customerslamming and cramming complaints, CSR staffing may be reduced and CSRsmay be redirected to more revenue producing customer services resultingin reduced costs and increased revenues.

[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram depicts reporting system10 for automating customer slamming and cramming complaints. Customersinterface with reporting system 10 through telephones 12 and telephonenetwork 14, such as the public switched telephone network or othertelephonic communication systems like voice over internet protocol basedsystems. Although the embodiment in FIG. 1 shows only four telephones12, in alternate embodiments reporting system 10 may interface with morethan four or less than four telephones 12.

[0017] In the example embodiment, reporting system 10 may includerespective software components and hardware components, such asprocessor 16, memory 18, input/output ports 20, hard disk drive (HDD) 22containing various databases 24 and 26, and those components may worktogether via bus 28 to provide the desired functionality. The varioushardware and software components may also be referred to as processingresources. Reporting system 10 may be a personal computer or server witha network interface for communicating over networks such as thetelephone communication networks, the Internet, intranets, LANs, orWANS. Reporting system may also include display 30 for presentingcomplaint interface 32 and input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard.Complaint interface 32 includes data fields 38 and is illustrated ingreater detail in FIG. 2. Reporting system 10 also includes complaintmodule 34 which resides in hard disk drive 22 and is executable byprocessor 16 through bus 28 as well as receiving device 36.

[0018] Receiving device 36 communicates with I/O ports 20 via bus 28 andin alternate embodiments there may be more than one receiving device 36in reporting system 10. One such type of receiving device is anautomatic call distribution system (“ACD”) that receives plural inboundtelephone calls and then distributes the inbound telephone calls to CSRsor automated systems. Another type of receiving device is a voiceresponse unit (“VRU”) also known as an interactive voice response system(“IVR”). When a call is received by a VRU, the caller is generallygreeted with an automated voice that queries the caller for informationand then routes the call based on the information provided by thecaller. When inbound telephone calls are received, typically VRU and ACDsystems employ identification means to collect caller information suchas automated number identification (“ANI”) information provided bytelephone networks that identify the telephone number of the inboundtelephone call. In addition, VRUs may be used in conjunction with ACDsto provide customer service.

[0019] When a customer has a complaint regarding slamming or cramming,information regarding the complaint must be entered into complaintinterface 32. Information entered into complaint interface 32 regardingthe slam or cram is compiled to generate slamming and cramming reportsrequired by state and federal regulations. Reporting system 10 allowsfor the automated entry of information into complaint interface 32.

[0020] Complaint interface 32 includes different data fields 38depending on whether the customer wishes to report a slam or cram. Datafields 38 allow for specific information regarding the slam or cram tobe recorded in a manner that allows for compliance with state andfederal regulations. Data field 40 is for cramming complaint informationwhen a product or service has been added to a customer's account withoutthe customer's authorization. Data field 42 is for cramming complaintinformation where the customer has ordered a particular product orservice as part of a package but is not aware that the product orservice is part of the ordered package. Data fields 44, 46, and 48 arefor information regarding slamming complaints. Data field 44 is for anunauthorized change of a PIC, data field 46 is for an unauthorizedchange of an LPIC, and data field 48 is for an unauthorized change ofthe local service provider. Data field 50 is for any additionalinformation regarding the slamming or cramming that may be important andtherefore need to be reported.

[0021] In addition to the type of complaint, each data field 40, 42, 44,46, and 48 requires the entry of a CIC (carrier information code) codeidentifying the offending party or company and the offending product orservice that was the cause of the unauthorized change to the customer'stelephone service. Reporting system 10 allows for the customer to enterinformation into complaint interface 32 instead of the CSR therebyfreeing up CSR time for other activities or for allowing a reduction inCSR staffing needs.

[0022]FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for automating customerslamming and cramming complaints. The method begins at step 100 when acustomer wishes to report an alleged slamming or cramming. The customerdials a customer service telephone number using telephone 12 andconnects via telephone network 14. The customer's telephone call may beanswered by reporting system 10 via receiving device 36 and complaintmodule 34 which provides a greeting to the customer. In alternateembodiments, the customer may be routed to reporting system 10 viareceiving device 36 where receiving device 36 may be a call routing IVRor the customer's telephone call may be answered directly by a CSR. Ifthe customer's telephone call is answered directly by a CSR, once theCSR learns that the customer is calling in regards to an allegedslamming or cramming complaint, the CSR transfers the customer toreporting system 10 and receiving device 36 so that the customer mayreport the alleged slamming or cramming using the automated reportingsystem 10.

[0023] After receiving device 36 receives the customer's telephone callregarding the customer complaint, then at step 102 complaint module 34determines if the customer telephone number is obtainable withoutprompting the customer to provide the customer telephone number. Thecustomer telephone number is obtainable without prompting the customerif receiving device 36 is enabled to employ identification means such asANI to determine the telephone number that the customer is calling from.If complaint module 34 is able to obtain the customer telephone numberwithout prompting, then at step 104 complaint module 34 obtains thecustomer telephone number. If at step 102 complaint module 34 is unableto obtain the customer telephone number without prompting, then at step106 complaint module 34 prompts the customer to provide the customertelephone number and complaint module 34 receives the customer'sresponse regarding the customer telephone number. Complaint module 34interfaces with the customer using a speech recognition interface sothat the customer only has to speak the customer responses, such as thecustomer telephone number, instead of entering the customer telephonenumber using touch tone input.

[0024] Once complaint module 34 has obtained the customer telephonenumber, at step 108 complaint module 34 confirms with the customer thatthe customer telephone number is correct and that it is the telephonenumber for which the customer receives service. If the customertelephone number is correct at step 110 then the process proceeds tostep 114. If the customer telephone number is not correct at step 110,then at step 112 complaint module 34 again prompts the customer toprovide the customer telephone number for which the customer receivestelephone services. Complaint module 34 repeats steps 108, 110, and 112until complaint module 34 has the correct customer telephone number andbefore proceeding to step 114. Alternatively instead of repeating steps108, 110, and 112, reporting system 10 may transfer the customer to aCSR after a predetermined number of failed attempts at providing thecustomer telephone number to prevent customer frustration.

[0025] When complaint module 34 has the correct customer telephonenumber, at step 114 complaint module 34 retrieves the customer accountinformation using the customer telephone number by tying the customertelephone number to the customer account information. Complaint module34 retrieves the customer account information by accessing hard diskdrive 22 and databases 24 and/or 26 to retrieve a plurality of customeraccount information. Complaint module 34 performs a database look-up ofdatabases 24 and/or 26 using the customer telephone number to locate thecustomer account information. The customer account information includessuch information as the name and address of the customer, order history,account activity, product and services ordered, CIC codes for local andlong distance service providers, names of local and long distanceservice providers, payment history, billing codes, and any otherappropriate information regarding the customer's telephone services.

[0026] After complaint module 34 has retrieved the customer accountinformation, at step 116 complaint module 34 examines the customeraccount information looking for indicators as to why the customer may becalling or the type of complaint the customer is reporting. Complaintmodule 34 examines the customer account information looking at recentorder activity or changes to the account paying particular attention tochanges to the local or long distance providers and the addition of newproducts or services. Complaint module 34 typically examines thecustomer account information for the previous six months but may examineless than six months or more than six months.

[0027] Once complaint module 34 has examined the customer accountinformation, at step 118 complaint module 34 determines if it can makean extrapolation as to the type of customer complaint that the customeris calling about—whether it be slamming or cramming. Complaint module 34extrapolates as to the type of customer complaint based on the recentactivity in the customer account information. For example, if thecustomer account information indicated that the customer's long distanceprovider was switched two weeks ago, complaint module 34 extrapolatesthat the customer is calling regarding the recent change in longdistance service provider which is possibly a slam. Or if the customeraccount information indicates that both Caller ID and Call Waiting wereadded to the customer's telephone service last month, complaint module34 extrapolates that the customer is calling regarding the addedservices which is possibly a cramming. Complaint module 34 may not beable to extrapolate as to the type of customer complaint if for instancethe customer account information shows no activity for the last sixmonths or if the customer account information reveals a large amount ofrecent activity.

[0028] If at step 118 complaint module 34 is unable to extrapolate thetype of customer complaint based on recent account activity, then atstep 120 complaint module 34 prompts the customer for the type ofcustomer complaint the customer is calling about. The customer suppliesthat type of customer complaint, either slamming or cramming, and atstep 122 complaint module 34 confirms the type of customer complaintwith the customer and the process continues to step 126.

[0029] If at step 118 complaint module 34 is able to extrapolate as tothe type of customer complaint, then at step 124 complaint module 34alters the customer prompt based on the extrapolated type of customercomplaint and prompts the customer asking if the customer is callingabout the extrapolated type of customer complaint. For instance, ifcomplaint module 34 extrapolated that the customer was calling about aslamming complaint based on a change in long distance provider made twoweeks ago, then at step 124 complaint module 34 prompts the customerasking if the customer is calling in regard to the change of longdistance service provider and a possible slamming. Or if there has beena recent addition of several products and services, complaint module 34prompts the customer by asking if the customer is calling in regards tothe possible cramming of additional products and service. If theextrapolation as to type of customer complaint is correct as indicatedby the customer response to the prompt at step 124, then the processcontinues to step 126. If the extrapolation as to the type of customercomplaint is incorrect at step 124, then process returns to steps 120and 122 where complaint module 34 prompts the customer for the type ofcustomer complaint as explained above.

[0030] Once complaint module 34 has determined the correct type ofcustomer complaint either through extrapolation or directly promptingthe customer, at step 126 complaint module 34 begins to prompt thecustomer for specific information regarding the customer slamming orcramming complaint, receives customer response to the above prompts atstep 128, confirms the customer responses with the customer at step 130,and enters information regarding the customer complaint into data fields38 of complaint interface 32 at step 132. At step 134, complaint module34 determines if additional information is needed from the customerregarding the customer complaint in order to provide data for all therequired data fields 38 of complaint interface 32. If additionalinformation is needed, then steps 126, 128, 130, and 132 are repeateduntil complaint module 34 has all the necessary information as requiredby complaint interface 32. Once complaint module 34 has all the requiredinformation regarding the customer complaint, the process continues tostep 136.

[0031] The prompts that complaint module 34 asks of the customer at step126 vary with the type of customer complaint. If the customer isreporting an alleged cramming, complaint module 34 needs to determinewhether the allegedly crammed product or service was added withoutcustomer authorization or it the product or service was authorized bythe customer as part of a package but the customer was not aware that itwas part of the package. Once the type of cramming has been identified,complaint module 34 then needs to prompt the customer as to how thecustomer wants to resolve the complaint and then follow through with thecustomer's instructions.

[0032] With respect to slamming customer complaints, complaint module 34needs to determine whether the PIC, LPIC, or local service provider waschanged without customer authorization. Once complaint module 34determines this, complaint module 34 then needs to enter informationinto the correct data field 44, 46, or 48. Such information as CIC codesmay be retrieved from the customer account information or databases 24or 26 so the customer will not need to know codes for the telephonecompanies and will not need to have their telephone bill in front ofthem. Once complaint module 34 has determined the type of slam,complaint module 34 needs to prompt the customer as to how the customerwants to resolve the slam. Complaint module 34 can prompt the customerto keep the current service provide, switch to a new service provider,or switch back to the customer's previous service provider before theslam, where the previous service provider and appropriate serviceprovider codes are available in the customer account information.

[0033] At step 136 when complaint module 34 has received all thenecessary and required customer complaint information from the customerand entered such information into complaint interface 32, complaintmodule 34 provides the customer with an indication or statement ofoutcome detailing all the actions and resolutions taken during thetelephone call and the telephone call ends with the customer reportingthe slamming or cramming and resolving the complaint without having tospeak with a CSR.

[0034] Even though the telephone call ends at step 136, reporting system10 continues to store and analyze the customer complaint information atstep 138. Complaint module 34 updates databases 24 and/or 26 withinformation regarding the customer slamming and cramming complaints sothat the slamming and cramming information is readily available forreports required by the state and federal regulations.

[0035] In addition to just storing the customer complaint information,complaint module 34 also analyzes the customer complaint information.Complaint module 34 tracks the frequency of offending companies thatslam and cramming products or services to determine which telephonecompanies are more likely to slam and which product or services are morelikely to be crammed. Tracking the frequent slammers and crammingproducts or services allows for a more responsive and user-friendlyreporting system 10. Knowing which telephone companies frequently slamcustomers or which products or services are frequently crammed improvesthe speech recognition capabilities of reporting system 10. Many of thetelephone companies have similar names and many of the services orproducts also have similar names and include the word call such as CallWaiting, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, and Three-way Calling. By keeping afrequency count of the most frequent offenders, probabilities can beassigned to specific telephone companies, products, and services basedon the frequency of offense that will guide the speech recognitioninterface as to how to interpret the responses provided by the customerswhen providing customer responses and therefore decrease the number ofrecognition errors when customers speak their responses.

[0036] In addition, if menus or lists are used in the dialogue betweenreporting system 10 and the customer, such as prompting a customer toselect a crammed service from a list, then the list of services may alsobe ordered by frequency of offense so that the services that are oftencrammed are listed first. Therefore, frequency data is used forassignment of probabilities for speech recognition capabilities and forthe ordering of menu items. The ordering of the menu items and theprobabilities may be changed dynamically by reporting system 10 based onchanges in the frequencies of offense so that the ordering andprobabilities are in step with the most current slamming and crammingdata.

[0037] Throughout the method illustrated in FIG. 3, the customer alwayshas the option to exit reporting system 10 and speak directly to a CSR.This option is typically given at every step of the process but may alsobe reserved for situations where complaint module 34 is experiencingdifficulty in understanding the customer responses or situations beyondthe scope of reporting system 10.

[0038] Although the above method in FIG. 3 has been described in detail,it should be understood that various alterations may be made to theoperation of reporting system 10. For instance, instead of obtaining thecustomer telephone number using identification means and extrapolatingas to the type of customer complaint based on the customer accountinformation, complaint module 34 may simply just prompt the customer forall necessary information including customer telephone number, type ofcustomer complaint, and specific information regarding the customercomplaint resulting in the automated reporting of customer slamming andcramming complaints without involving a CSR.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described in detail, itshould be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterationscan be made hereto without parting from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for the automated reporting of customerslamming and cramming complaints, the method comprising: obtaining acustomer telephone number; retrieving a plurality of customer accountinformation using the customer telephone number; examining the customeraccount information for recent activity; extrapolating as to whether thecustomer complaint is for slamming or cramming based upon the customeraccount information; prompting the customer for whether the customercomplaint is for slamming or cramming based upon the customer accountinformation; prompting the customer for information regarding thecustomer complaint; receiving one or more customer responses using aspeech recognition interface; confirming the information provided by thecustomer in the customer responses; entering information regarding thecustomer complaint into a complaint interface; updating one or moredatabases with information regarding the customer complaint; trackingthe customer slamming and cramming complaints; tracking how frequentlythe customers complain of a plurality of companies and of a plurality ofservices; storing information regarding the frequency of offense forparticular companies and particular services; and providing a statementof outcome to the customer regarding a resolution to the customercomplaint.
 2. A method for the automation of customer slamming andcramming complaints, the method comprising: obtaining a customertelephone number; retrieving a plurality of customer account informationusing the customer telephone number; extrapolating a type of complaintfor the customer complaint based upon the customer account information;prompting the customer for information regarding the customer complaintand the type of the complaint based upon the customer accountinformation; receiving one or more customer responses; providing anindication to the customer regarding each customer response; andupdating one or more databases with information regarding the customercomplaint.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein obtaining a customertelephone number comprises prompting the customer to provide thecustomer telephone number.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein obtainingthe customer telephone number comprises determining the customertelephone number without prompting the customer for the customertelephone number.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining thecustomer telephone number without prompting the customer for thecustomer telephone number comprises identifying the customer telephonenumber using identification means.
 6. The method of claim 5 furthercomprising confirming that the customer telephone number identifiedusing the identification means is the customer telephone number forwhich the customer seeks to report a customer complaint.
 7. The methodof claim 2 wherein retrieving the customer account information comprisesaccessing one or more databases containing customer account information.8. The method of claim 2 wherein prompting the customer for informationregarding the customer complaint comprises altering the prompts based onrecent activity in the customer account information.
 9. The method ofclaim 2 wherein updating one or more databases with informationregarding the customer complaint comprises storing information regardingthe customer slamming and cramming complaints.
 10. The method of claim 2further comprising: tracking the customer slamming and crammingcomplaints; tracking how frequently the customers complain of aplurality of companies and of a plurality of services; and storinginformation regarding the frequency of offense for particular companiesand particular services.
 11. The method of claim 10 further comprisingdetermining one or more probabilities as to the frequency of offense forthe companies and services.
 12. The method of claim 2 wherein receivingone or more customer responses comprises receiving customer responsesusing a speech recognition interface.
 13. The method of claim 2 furthercomprising entering information regarding the customer complaint into acomplaint interface.
 14. The method of claim 2 wherein providing anindication to the customer comprises providing a statement of outcomeregarding a resolution to the customer complaint.
 15. The method ofclaim 2 further comprising providing the customer with an option to optout of automatically reporting the customer complaint and to speak witha customer service representative.
 16. The method of claim 2 whereinprompting the customer for information comprises asking the customer ifthe customer has a customer complaint regarding slamming or cramming.17. The method of claim 2 further comprising comparing the informationprovided by the customer in the customer responses to informationcontained in the customer account information.
 18. The method of claim 2wherein retrieving customer account information comprises accessing oneor more databases.
 19. The method of claim 2 wherein extrapolating thetype of complaint comprises determining whether the customer has aslamming complaint or a cramming complaint.
 20. Software for theautomation of customer slamming and cramming complaints, the softwareembodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to: obtain acustomer telephone number; retrieve a plurality of customer accountinformation using the customer telephone number; extrapolate a type ofcomplaint for the customer complaint based upon the customer accountinformation; prompt the customer for information regarding the customercomplaint and the type of the complaint based upon the customer accountinformation; receive one or more customer responses; provide anindication to the customer regarding each customer response; and updateone or more databases with information regarding the customer complaint.21. The software of claim 20 wherein obtaining a customer telephonenumber comprises prompting the customer to provide the customertelephone number.
 22. The software of claim 20 wherein obtaining thecustomer telephone number comprises identifying the customer telephonenumber using identification means.
 23. The software of claim 20 whereinretrieving the customer account information comprises accessing one ormore databases containing customer account information.
 24. The softwareof claim 20 wherein prompting the customer for information regarding thecustomer complaint comprises altering prompts based on recent activityin the customer account information.
 25. The software of claim 20further operable to: track the customer slamming and crammingcomplaints; track how frequently the customers complain of a pluralityof companies and of a plurality of services; and store informationregarding the frequency of offense for particular companies andparticular services.
 26. The software of claim 25 further operable todetermine one or more probabilities as to the frequency of offense forthe companies and services.
 27. The software of claim 20 furtheroperable to enter information regarding the customer complaint into acomplaint interface.
 28. A system for the automated reporting ofcustomer slamming and cramming complaints, the system comprising: one ormore receiving devices operable to receive a plurality of inboundinquiries; and a complaint module associated with the receiving devices,the complaint module operable to retrieve a plurality of customeraccount information, prompt the customer for information regarding thecustomer complaint, and accept one or more customer responses from thecustomer regarding the customer complaint.
 29. The system of claim 28wherein the receiving device comprises an interactive voice responseunit.
 30. The system of claim 28 wherein the receiving device comprisesan automatic call distribution unit.
 31. The system of claim 28 furthercomprising one or more databases operable to store information regardingcustomer account information.
 32. The system of claim 31 wherein thedatabases store information regarding the customer complaints.
 33. Thesystem of claim 28 further comprising a complaint interface associatedwith the complaint module, the complaint interface operable to receiveinformation regarding the customer complaint.
 34. The system of claim 33wherein the complaint interface includes a plurality of data fields forinformation regarding the customer complaint.
 35. The system of claim 28wherein the plural inbound inquiries comprise inbound telephone calls.36. The system of claim 28 wherein the complaint module is furtheroperable to: monitor the customer slamming and cramming complaints;track how frequently the customers complain of a plurality of companiesand of a plurality of services; and store in one or more of thedatabases information regarding the frequency of offense for particularcompanies and particular services.
 37. The system of claim 28 whereinthe complaint module interacts with the customer using a speechrecognition interface.
 38. The system of claim 28 wherein the complaintmodule is further operable to obtain a customer telephone number formthe customer having the customer complaint.